


Brooklyn Dancing

by SonglordsBug



Series: Brooklyn Darcy [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Awesome Darcy Lewis, Darcy grew up with Steve and Bucky, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, and they danced, except not, the avengers freak out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-03 06:10:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17278547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonglordsBug/pseuds/SonglordsBug
Summary: Darcy Lewis' past comes calling at an Avengers Charity Gala. She decides to enjoy it, but the Avengers are panicking because she's dancing with the Winter Soldier. Meanwhile, Steve feels like he's hallucinating from his past.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> crossposting from stumblr

“Why are we doing this?” Clint asked, looking around the room at his fellow Avengers. “I mean, we get word that the Winter Soldier is coming to this thing, and he might be gunning for Steve. And we’re just continuing on, business as usual?”

“Charity Gala, Legolas.” Tony answered. “These people fund the clean ups after our battles, cause I’m rich, but no one’s that rich. We can’t just cancel, people need the money.”

“Yeah, but…” Clint objected.

“We’re warned, and we’re armed, and we’re gonna be careful. There’s not really anything else we can do.” Steve said. “We’ve been over this before Clint.”

Clint grumbled and Natasha bumped shoulders with him and grimaced consolingly. The six of them made final checks of both weapons and formal attire and then Tony made his way towards the door.

“Are we all ready?” Tony asked over his shoulder.

* * *

Darcy smiled wistfully as her reflection caught her eye. All dressed up on Tony Stark’s dime and she could almost call herself ‘Belle’. But Belle always had a partner.

Her smile faded.

Then she shook her head slightly. No. She was looking gorgeous in red silk and matching lipstick and she was going to the Gala and she was going to have a good time. And maybe she was going to show off and do more dancing than she’d done in a while.

Money couldn’t fix everything, but it sure bought awesome shoes- they went with her dress, looked fantastic, and were almost comfortable.

She was going to go, and she was going to dance, and she wasn’t going to think about a certain blond captain and mistakes made, or about another blue-eyed man with darker hair.


	2. Chapter 2

Darcy stands at the edge of the room. There’s a buffet, and a bar, and a band, but what she’s most interested in is the dance floor. There are people swinging and swirling all around. It’s been so long since she’s danced.

“What’s a beautiful dame like you doing standing around when she could be dancing?” Asks a voice with just a touch of Brooklyn drawl from behind her.

Darcy’s breath catches in her throat, that sounded like- She turns slowly and there- icy blue eyes smile at her, matching the smile on sensuous lips. His dark hair has grown longer, but it’s slicked back neatly. 

“Waiting for Prince Charming, I guess.” She answers.

He holds out a hand.

“Care to dance?” He asks.

Darcy smiles and Belle slips her hand into his. He guides her out onto the dance floor and pulls her close and they dance.

“I thought it’d be a while longer, and that I’d need to come fetch you.” She murmurs.

He snorts and guides her through a turn.

“Probably would’ve, but then they ordered me to handle the Captain.” He replied softly.

“They never learn…” She said in disbelief.

“They really don’t.” He answered.

“Thank God for that. James…” She trailed off, smiling softly up at him.

James hummed in response and pulled her closer.

“What brought you here?” She finally asked.

“What? A fella can’t come to a party and dance with his best girl?” James asked, smirking slightly.

She gave him a look.

“You knew I was here?” She asked archly.

“Well…” He hedged.

“Why are you here, James?” She asked with a roll of her eyes.

“The Captain.” He answered, growing serious.

She frowned.

“Your head clear yet? You’re not still…?” She asked, anxiety entering her voice.

He shook his head.

“Not that. The world may well need a Captain America. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to have some choice words with whoever thinks they can pretend to be Steve Rogers.” James explains, scowling.

“Oh.” Belle says, smiling. “And who said he was pretending?”

James’ eyes locked on hers, his face going blank with shock. She’s fairly certain the only reason they didn’t stumble to a halt on the floor was that James could and has danced in his sleep.

“What.” He finally managed to say flatly.

“It’s him. It’s definitely him.” She assures him.

James dances mechanically until he shakes his head slightly.

“Well this definitely changes things.” He murmurs before spinning her.

* * *

Clint casually leaned against a balcony, his eyes scanning the dance floor below. His eyes catch on a red dress and- he reaches up to activate the comm in his ear.

“I have eyes on the Winter Soldier.” He informs his teammates.

They respond with various comments, but he speaks over them.

“He’s dancing with Darcy.” Clint tells them flatly.

They fall into horrified silence.


	3. Chapter 3

“If he really is Steve, then what were you doing waiting around for Prince Charming?” James asked with a frown.

Belle winced.

“Belle.” He said with a warning tone.

She sighed.

“Well I had about the same attitude as you about someone pretending to be our Stevie.” She started explaining.

James nodded his understanding.

“And well, I was so worked up about it, that I didn’t really take a good look at him.” She continued.

James frowned.

“I kind of ignored him for the first few weeks. And by the time I started paying attention and realized it was him… well, he’d given up. We’re friends now but he’s real careful  to not mention his past to me… and I don’t know how to bring it up.” She finished explaining, looking sheepish.

James gaped at her.

“Sometimes I ask the good lord why he gave me two loves of my life, and made them a pair of idiots.” He informed her.

She giggled softly and didn’t argue. He shook his head.

“And I thought you and I handled things poorly without him.” James mused. “But this really takes the cake, doll.”

“I don’t know why you’re so surprised, the last time you left us alone he crashed a plane, and the time before he got himself experimented on.” She told him, smiling.

“Well, I’ll just have to sort everything out.” He responded, smiling back. “But it can wait till the dancing’s done.”

* * *

“They’re smack in the middle of the floor.” Clint told the others, barely refraining from pointing. “There’s no way we can get to him without putting a lot of civilians at risk, especially Darcy.”

“I could try cutting in?” Tony suggested.

“They’ve danced every dance together so far, neither of them will be cooperative.” Natasha disagreed.

“We watch and we wait and we don’t let him leave with Darcy.” Steve ordered. “Clint stays up here and the rest of us scatter through down below. Clint if you see a chance to get him away from Darcy or out of the public, give the nearest person the go ahead.”


	4. Chapter 4

They’d managed to arrange things so that the room cleared out when the band stopped. Shield agents and Stark Industries employees escorted any lingerers out, except for the one oblivious couple in the middle of the dance floor. The Avengers approached cautiously, weapons up, surrounding them loosely.

Clint tensed when the Winter Soldier’s hands came up to cradle Darcy’s head. From that position it would be horrifyingly easy to snap her neck. He wasn’t expecting the Soldier to pull her into a surprisingly passionate kiss, or for her to lean into the kiss, matching his passion.

The Avengers stood there awkwardly.

When they finally broke the kiss, Darcy murmured “James…”

“Shh.” The Winter Soldier hushed her.

Then he stepped away from her, pivoted towards Clint and Natasha, who were closest, dropped gracefully to his knees, and brought his hands behind his head. They gaped. Tony finally broke the silence.

“Uhh, what? Is that it?” Tony asked, gauntlets up and ready even though he wasn’t wearing the rest of the suit.

The Soldier smirked and turned his head to address Tony.

“Do ya want me to put up a fuss?” He asked.

“Well no, but you realize that means we’re capturing you?” Tony answered.

“Yeah. Puttin’ myself into your custody.” The Soldier answered.

Tony looked fascinated, Clint noted absently as he watched carefully. There was something strange going on here and he hadn’t quite figured it out.

“Even though that means we’re going to lock you up?” Tony asked, baffled, curious, and delighted by the unusual reaction.

The Soldier nodded easily.

Clint suddenly realized what was bothering him. Darcy wasn’t surprised- she wasn’t acting like someone who’d been dancing with a stranger and just found out that he was dangerous. She was standing there calmly, almost amusedly, watching what was happening. In fact-

“I’ll be joining him wherever you put him.” Darcy said firmly.

The Avengers all startled, and the Soldier’s head whipped around.

“You will not.” He said sharply.

She met his eyes solemnly.

“Where you go, I will follow.” She told the Soldier.

“Belle!” The Soldier growled.

“James.” She answered.

Belle? This didn’t make sense. Darcy was acting like she knew the Winter Soldier. Clint glanced at his teammates to see if any of them had a better idea of what was going or how to handle it. Bruce, Tony, and Thor were all staring in various shades of completely confused. Natasha hadn’t relaxed at all and was keeping all of her attention on the Soldier. And Steve-

“Cap? You alright?” Clint found himself asking in concern.


	5. Chapter 5

Both the Soldier’s and Darcy’s heads snapped around to look at Steve, who was pale and shaken and looking between the two of them with a frown. Darcy bit her lip.

“Shit.” Muttered the Soldier.

Then he straightened and looked back at Clint and Natasha.

“My name is James Buchanan Barnes and I’ve been Hydra’s POW for the last seventy years. I’m turning myself over to the Avengers in the hopes that they can keep me from being taken and made Hydra’s pet weapon, again.” The man said formally.

The Avengers stared. Even Tony was speechless, Clint noted. Natasha was so tense she was almost shaking next to him.

“Barnes? Really? Well, that would explain Cap’s face.” Tony finally said. “Not Lewis kissing you, but Cap’s face yes.”

“Was this always your intention?” Clint asked.

“Yeah, well, this and having words with the young upstart who thought he could pretend to be Steve Rogers. But,” the man, Barnes, admitted with a look of dawning wonder on his face, “I guess that second part won’t be necessary.”

Clint checked on Cap again, who was starting to look better, he was clearly still confused, but there was hope in his eyes.

“Okay, let’s say we accept that you’re who you say you are, which we don’t until we have more proof, why did you spend the night romancing our intern?” Tony asked.

“And why aren’t you surprised by any of this, Darce?” Clint added.

Barnes and Darcy made eye contact and proceeded to have a conversation in minute facial expressions. Then Darcy smiled wryly and looked at Tony.

“Did your dad ever mention an Isobel Delaney?” She asked.

“She was some sort of old friend. He made her a few things, I think. She’d disappear for a while and then show up and he’d drop everything to help her with some project. I think I met her a few times when I was a kid.” Tony answered.

“Isobel Delaney grew up in Brooklyn alongside Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. She even followed them to the war. The world doesn’t remember her because she asked Howard Stark and Peggy Carter to keep her hidden.” Darcy said.

“Any relation?” Tony asked.

Darcy smiled wryly again.

“Not exactly.” She said, then shrugged. “I am Isobel Delaney.”

Clint thought it said something about his life that his brain didn’t object to a twenty-something claiming to be a ninety-something, but “Steve would have said something.”

Darcy winced.

“He tried. I was kind of an idiot.” She explained sheepishly.

Barnes snorted and muttered something.

“Oh hush, you.” Darcy told him.

Clint looked between the two of them at the easy affection that could believably be decades old. Then he looked past them to Steve, whose color had come back and who looked steady again.

“Cap? How does this hold up?” Clint asked.

“I, well, they, uh, they certainly seem like Bucky and Belle.” Steve answered, hope starting to overwhelm the fear on his face, a smile starting to curve his lips.


	6. Chapter 6

“Uh, I hate to break this up, but didn’t you die?” Tony asked.

The smile fell off of Steve’s face.

“Buck, you fell.” Steve said.

“Yeah. Landed in snow.” Barnes said, face haunted. “Lost most of my arm then. Couldn’t really move. I dunno how long I was there, but eventually Hydra retrieved me. Apparently Zola’s experiments had kept me alive.”

Everyone stared, Steve’s face had paled again and he looked like he was going to be sick. Darcy reached out and curled her hand on the back of Barnes’ neck.

“Come back, a stor.” She said softly.

He turned his face towards her palm and met her eyes.

“Worked out in the end, didn’t it? You’re here.” She said, smiling sadly.

He nodded a little and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist.

“So Darcy, why aren’t you old?” Tony asked awkwardly.

“Blood transfusion.” Darcy said, smile widening. Steve made an understanding sound and Darcy nodded, laughter in her eyes.

“What?” Bruce asked, frowning.

“We were in a tight spot, and I got hurt on the front. I needed a transfusion and the only person who matched my blood type was Stevie.” Darcy explained. “There wasn’t time to think about the what-ifs.”

The Avengers absorbed this information thoughtfully.

“Your stories are making a surprising amount of sense.” Clint said. “But you haven’t actually proved anything.”

Darcy and Barnes exchanged glances.

“Well, a blood test would show that I have trace amounts of the same serum as Steve, and Bruce is welcome to do one. But James doesn’t have the same kind, so his wouldn’t match.” Darcy said.

“Best way is probably for us to talk to Steve about things only we could know.” Barnes said.

“That’s not a bad idea.” Clint said. “You up for that, Cap?”

Steve looked between the two of them and nodded hesitantly.

“Yeah, yeah I think I’d like that.” He said softly. “Think it’d be best to talk on my floor.”

Bruce quickly produced a syringe and took a sample of Darcy’s blood. Then Darcy, Barnes, and Steve started walking towards the elevators. Before they got on one, Natasha called out in Russian. Barnes stopped, and then turned to look back at her. His face was solemn as he answered in the same language. Natasha considered for a moment, and then nodded her acceptance. He nodded back and joined the other two on the elevator.


	7. Chapter 7

The ride up in the elevator was silent. When they got to Steve’s floor they stepped off and looked at each other awkwardly. Finally Bucky broke the silence.

“Pretty sure you’re supposed to be asking us questions, Punk.” He said.

Steve nodded and looked at them uncertainly.

“Alright, uh, Belle, how’d we meet?” He asked.

Belle chuckled.

“You pulled me out of a fight, only fight you ever didn’t try to finish as far as I know. And then you told me I was too small to be getting in fights and I blacked your eye. The next day Bucky tracked me down and apologized for your stupid self.” She answered.

Steve ducked his head with a huff of laughter.

“Okay. Buck, what did our third grade teacher used to say about us?” He asked.

“That we were a pair of devils straight from hell because we always got in fights. Fights you started by the way. And then you’d go yelling in Gaelic at the idiots we were fighting, reading them the riot act. She said I was too pretty and you were too scrawny and we were both too much trouble.” Bucky said with a grin.

Steve smiled back.

“And what did you say to me after my Ma died?” He asked.

“That I was with you to the end of the line. Still am, for that matter, no matter how long it turns out to be.” Bucky told him seriously, eyes intent.

Steve met his eyes and then turned to Belle.

“And Belle, what did you say to me when you found me selling bonds, after they put us in a private room?” He asked.

“That you were a stupid punk and that of course I’d come and find you after you disappeared. That just cause you got somewhere first didn’t mean I wouldn’t follow.” She said, then she smiled at both of them. “That where you boys go, I will always follow.”

Steve smiled and said thickly “Uh, Jarvis? Can you tell the others that I’m satisfied that these two are who they say they are? And then privacy mode, please.”

“Certainly Captain Rogers. And congratulations.” Jarvis answered.

“Guess that means he believes us, Doll.” Bucky said with a smirk.

“Yeah it does.” Belle agreed, grinning impishly.

Steve looked between them, overwhelmed.

“I… I don’t…” He stuttered.

“Hey, hey, cool your jets.” Bucky said, smirk gentling into a fond smile, and stepped closer. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. All that matters is that we’re together, yeah?”

“It’s all that’s ever mattered. Us three against the world.” Belle agreed, stepping closer as well.

Steve looked at the two of them and smiled.

“Together. Yeah.” He said softly.

Smiling at each other they reached out and pulled each other into a hug for the first time in seventy years.


End file.
